Helping the Dyslexic Child:Remediation (long)
Angela
Paula Dozier Rome and Jean Smith Osman From Pediatric Annals 8: 11/November
1979
Many children who are unable to learn to read from instruction with the
whole word/phonetic analysis, whole language, or a standard phonics program
develop learning-to-read problems which mimic those of true dyslexics. It
doesn't matter whether children or adults are "true" or "manufactured"
dyslexics. Their remediation is the same. Mrs. Ruth W. Frank.
It is well to realize that the programs usually planned for remedial reading
classes in schools are not designed to meet the special needs of the
dyslexic. (Many are led to think that they do, only to find out otherwise
after valuable years have been wasted. Unfortunately, even the possession
of a graduate degree in learning disabilities does not mean that the
remedial teacher possesses the techniques needed for teaching dyslexics. )
The physician, then faces real difficulties in many instances in assessing
whether a program is adequate or not. He should look for a program that
uses (1) multi-sensory reinforcement, (2) phonics (3) rules and
generalizations, and (4) a structured system progressing from the simple to
the complex.
A MULTI-SENSORY APPROACH This means using all three pathways to implement
learning - visual, auditory and kinesthetic-tactile.
The VISUAL PRESENTATION is the obvious one, and it is used
generally -sometimes exclusively - in a great many teaching programs. It is
the one approach that is certain to cause the dyslexic the greatest
difficulty. In a visual presentation, words are supplied to the student for
him to look at and memorize for subsequent use in reading and spelling. This
is not difficult for children with no impairment of visual imagery for
words; but for the dyslexic student who is not able to retain whole-word
images securely, it ranges from difficult to impossible.
PHONICS: We mention phonics as a guideline in selecting an adequate
remediation program for the dyslexic because the dyslexic must learn the
phonic units of the language in order to succeed at reading and writing.
When looking at these phonic units, he must be trained to recognize them
visually and to pronounce the appropriate speech-sounds equivalents. When
the dyslexic hears himself pronounce the sounds of words, he gets
simultaneous auditory reinforcement.
The student must also be trained to be aware of kinesthetic reinforcements
he receives from the muscle movements of the speech mechanisms. For those
with severe problems, special emphasis must be placed on becoming aware of
the feeling of movements of the mouth, the tongue, the throat, and the lips
a various words are pronounced. Kinesthetic reinforcement can also be
provided by hand and arm movement . The student should write or trace each
phonetic unit, saying the sound simultaneously, until he has mastered it.
The more severe the dyslexia , the more essential it is to train the patient
to trace or write language units.
RULES AND GENERALIZATIONS: In a reversal of the process outlined above, the
dyslexic student must also be trained to hear speech sounds and to name or
write all the phonic units used to represent each sound.
A STRUCTURED PROGRAM: In educating a dyslexic student, "structured program"
means (1) teaching necessary elements, from simple to complex short a
to -tch to -tion to -cious), step by step; (2) teaching each new element
until it is securely learned before introducing a new one, and (3) training
the student to relate the new element to the other pieces of information he
has already mastered.
This process of being able to synthesize and analyze, to be able to take a
single word apart and put it back together again, is basically the way the
dyslexic student learns. The amount of drill work necessary to achieve
success will depend on the severity of the disability with visual imagery
and whether or not the student has problems with auditory processing or
synthesizing the spoken sequences.
jacinta...@gmail.com
I just went through training by Jean Osman and the Reading Center...Sometimes the words can be hard to sort through but the OG method is flawless...and was put into understandable words in the manual and hands on practice. I am not an expert but can put you into contact with some if you would like. :)